I was sold on this book from the summary. I love me a story about a crumbling kingdom led by an evil and corrupt king, and the battle to depose him. I’ve been on a search for good books with strong main character and complex, entertaining political intrigue, and I have not been let down by The Vanished Queen.

I loved Anza as a character from the very beginning, I always appreciate authors that write strong, independent women that know their worth and fight for what's right. Anza was all of that and much more. She finds herself in very delicate situations (partly her own fault), but she never gives up.

Who I wasn't completely sure of was Esvar. In the beginning, his character felt a little underdeveloped and this feeling followed me for most of the book, even though you grow to love and appreciate his journey.

What really made me give this book 5 stars was the writing. I have been devouring it from the very first pages, unable to take a break. The words flew at a very good pace even in the few more boring parts and I felt my heartbeat fasten so many times I lost count.

About mid-way through. I started to worry the book would end on a cliffhanger and build into a series. I was oh so glad when I realised it wouldn't do that. I'm not sure why, but I deeply wanted the story to neatly wrap up and it did. There is space for a sequel if the author decides for it, but most readers would be satisfied with this being a standalone.

A small trigger warning: the story is set in a corrupted kingdom and around the resistance fight. It therefore touches on darker themes such as rape, forced abortion and domestic abuse (maybe look for a trigger warning list). Please be aware of this before going into this book.

I thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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